We’ve just passed the time of year known as the Sports Equinox — that rare moment when all four major sports are still in play. It’s also when we get “Mr. November,” as Major League Baseball’s best battle it out to the very end. Hats off to the Los Angeles Dodgers for that captivating Game 7 win.
Who are the teams — not just in sports, but business too — who make it to November? The teams that reach this point recognize that pressure is a privilege.
With pressure comes expectations. People are counting on you. They’re relying on your talents, not the other guy’s. You have earned the right to feel the pressure. November teams aren’t the ones that shy away or take the easy road. They know this is the moment to ask: What’d ya got?
Good Pressure = Growth
The pressure we need to feel is the good kind. It’s the kind that says, “I’ve done this before. I’ve pulled through, and I can do it again.” Yes, the butterflies are fluttering and there’s a knot in your stomach, but you accept the responsibility and rise to the occasion. No single person on a team should feel this pressure alone; it should be equally distributed. I excel here, you excel there. We don’t step on each other’s toes. When everyone pulls together, we can play with abandon, knowing and trusting that we can rely on each other.
How Do Teams Get to November?
It doesn’t happen by chance. These teams put in the tough work before the big moment. They’ve laid the foundation, so that when November rolls around, they know the “all out” answers to the following questions:
How do we work?
What’s my role? What’s yours? What “natural advantage” do we each have that allow us to rise to the top?
How are we different?
How will our differences show up? How can we work through them to minimize tension and use them to our advantage? What coaching do we need to turn our conflict into collaboration?
What’s the work ahead?
What’s on our plate now—and in the future? Are we preparing for something different in 2026? How do we divide responsibilities so everyone plays to their strengths?
How will we communicate?
What’s the best way to communicate with each person? How do we learn and then streamline the best aproach for communication with each team member? How do we stay attuned to each other?
How do we capitalize on our unique dynamic?
What are we designed to do as a team? Where are our strengths, and more importantly, where are our blind spots? What coaching do we need to address those?
Every Team is Perfectly Designed to
Get the Results That It Gets
Sit with that for a moment. Every team’s makeup predicts the results it achieves. Our team dynamics, our strengths, and yes, even our challenges, play out in a way that predicts how we’ll work together.
What if we knew this ahead of time? What if we could anticipate the challenges ahead and be prepared to handle them? We’d be armed and ready to take on the pressure and rise to the occasion.
The Power of Team Coaching
That’s what November teams do. They’ve worked together, planned together, and been coached together. Coaching individuals or solely the leader doesn’t get the same results. Team coaching is the key. Many problems with teams don’t result from getting stale, but from not having enough time to settle in and strengthen. November teams have been through that journey. They’ve shared the pressure, learned each other’s strengths, and are ready when it counts. Put me in, Coach!
Our Mission: Creating November Teams
For over 35 years, our mission at PSG has been to give teams a distinct advantage—the insight and intel that reveal how people truly work together. In the early days, it was eye-opening to discover just how powerful the Kolbe A™ Index was in uncovering the real sources of conflict, stress, and anxiety within teams. Today, there are no surprises, just the insights and affirmations that need to be shared and coached through in order for your team to achieve the results you desire — not the ones they are perfectly designed to get.
At PSG, our work is all about creating November teams. We partner with your entire team to explore those five key questions above, identify your team’s strengths, and use the Kolbe System™ to tailor an approach that accelerates communication, collaboration, and team-building.
Ready to bring your team to November? Let’s talk about how we can help you get there.